Water-softening apparatus for locomotives.



F. C. FOSDICK. WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

- APPLICATION F-ILED SEPT.8 19x6. 1,212,339. Patented Jan.16,1917.

' 2 SHEET$-SHEET lli? (/6 72 f0 7":

F. C. FOSDICK.

WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s.1916.

1,212,339, Patented Ja11.16,1917.

2 $HEETS'SHEET 2.

' @FFIQR- FRANK C. FOSIDICK. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATER-SOFTENING APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed September 8, 1916.

T 0 all whom 2'1- may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. FOSDIGK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-SofteningApparatus for Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

Aside from the large stationary Watersoftening plants in use by some ofthe railroads, the usual practice in softening water for use inlocomotives is to deposit a quantity ofthe desired chemicals in thetender at the railway division point, the amount being sufficient tosoften the water placed in the tender at the division point and thewater taken en route. As a result, the water at first is over-suppliedwith chemicals, the latter causing the water to foam in the boiler.Moreover, when the supply of water in the tender is replenished enroute, the dissolved or undissolved chemicals remaining in the tendermay be insuflicient for the proper softening of the added water. It alsosometimes happens that a'man who has just come on duty will placechemicals in a tender which has already been supplied with chemicals bythe man whom he has relieved. When an engineer discovers that the waterin the boiler is foaming, he may discharge more or less of the water inthe boiler and the tender, and take on a fresh supply en route, thusdefeating the objects of the water-softening system established by therailroad. Foaming in a locomotive 'boiler is so objectionable to enginecrews that they cannot be depended upon to place the chemicals in thetender, if such oper ation be intrusted to them.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the chemicalswill be automatically fed to the tender Whenever water is supplied tothe tender, the quantity of chemicals fed being proportionate to thequantity of water taken into the tender.

A further object of the invention is to preclude errors in thefeeding'of the chemicals and to prevent engine crews from frustratingthe prescribed water-softening system.

In the accompanying drawings Figurel is a fragmental side elevation of alocomotive tender embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view of the chemical-supplying apparatus, the viewbeing taken in the plane of line Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Serial No. 118,958.

22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig 4 is a sectionon line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isa detail view of a certain sprocket andthe ratchet drive therefor. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a plate forreducing the rate at which the chemicals are fed.

Referring to the drawings: 1 represents a locomotive tender of anysuitable form, said tender comprising a water tankor space 2, said tankbeing provided with a filling opening or manhole 2*. Thechemical-supplying apparatus is located at any suitable point on thetank. Said apparatus comprises a hopper 3 to contain a quantity ofpowdered or granular chemicals, a device 4. to feed or control the feedof chemicals from the hopper, a chute 5 through which the chemicals areconducted to the tank, and a float-actuated means for driving thefeeding device 4.

The hopper 3 may be of any desired size. It may be large enough tocontain a supply sufficient for only a single run, thus necessitatingreplenishment, with the inspection consequent thereon, at each divisionpoint; or it may be of such capacity as to hold a supply suflicient fora considerably longer period. The hopper has a cover 6 of any suitablecharacter, the cover being provided with a lock 7. In practice the keysfor this look would be in the possession only of the employees chargedwith the duty of replenishing the hopper.

In the lower end of the hopper is an outlet 8 below which is located asuitable device for controlling the discharge of the chemicals or forpositively discharging the chemicals. Herein is shown a rotary device 4:journaled in the supporting structure and provided with peripheral ribs9 extending longitudinally of said device. If desired, the ribs 9 may bewavy in formso as to have a draw-shearing action upon any lumps that maybe found in the materials being discharged. Preferably the device 4 isdivided into a plurality of longitudinal sections by means of disks orflanges 10. The discharge from the hopper 3 maybe regulated byobstructing the outlet 8 to a greater or less degree, as by placing oversaid outlet one or more plates 11. Each of these plates 1s preferablyequal in length to the distance between two disks 10.

It will be seen that the ribs 9 and disks form a plurality of peripheralcups or pockets into which the chemicals gravitate through the outlet 8and which pockets carry the material to the lower side of the device 4:where the material falls into a chute 5. Said chute may be secured tothe tank in any suitable manner and is continued in a spout 12 thatextends to a suitable depth in the tank 2. To provide an outlet for airthat may be trapped in the spout 12 and the chute 5 as water rises inthe tank 2, a suitable number of openings 13 may be formed in saidchute, said openings being preferably provided with hoods 14 to preventthe insertion of an instrument designed to render the feeding deviceinoperative.

The feeding device is rotated only while the tank is being filled withwater. Upon one journal of the feeding device is rotatably mounted asprocket wheel 15, said.

wheel being arranged to drive the feeding device through a suitableone-way clutch, as, for example, a pawl 16 carried by the wheel andengaging a ratchet wheel 17 rigidly connected to the device 1. In thelower portion of the tank is a sprocket wheel 18. Around the wheels 15and 18 runs a chain .19 to which is fixed a float 20. Preferably thewheel 18, the float 20 and that portion of the chain 19 which is withinthe tank 2 are inclosed in a casing 21 to protect said parts againsttampering and to limit lateral displacement of the float 20 due tostarting and stopping of the locomotive and surging of the water. Therise and fall of the float are limited by stops 22 and 23. In the bottomof the casing 21 is a water inlet and outlet opening 24. The upper endof the casing 21 communicates with the interior of the tank in asuitable way, as by terminating short of the top wall of the tank,thereby providing air and water openings 25. The sprocket wheel 15 andthe portion of the chain 19 above the tank are inclosed in a protectivecasing 26. Tubes 27 extend upwardly from the tank within the casing 26and inclose the chains, thus preventing water from being splashed upinto said casing. These tubes extend below the upper end of the casing21 in order to prevent tampering with the chain by means of an implementinserted through the openings 25.

In practice, a suitable quantity of chemicals is placed in the hopper 3.When the tank 2 is filled, whether at the division point or en route,the float 20 rises, thereby rotating the device 4 and thus causingchemicals to be discharged into the tank 2 through the chute 5 and thespout 12. The chemicals pass into solution and become distributedthroughout the entire body of water. It will be evident that the numberof revolutions of the device 4: depends upon the length of the upwardmovement of the float, and that this in turn depends upon the volume ofwater admitted to the tank. Thus insuring effective treatment for theprecipitation of water-borne minerals in the tender. Moreover theapparatus is of such'character that it cannot be rendered inoperative bythe engine crews.

At convenient intervals, the supply of \fivvr chemicals in the hopper 3is replenished by the employee intrusted with this duty, suchreplenishment affording opportunity to observe whether there has beenany accidental failure to feed the previous supply of chem 0 icals.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a locomotive tender having a water tank, achemical hopper mounted on the tank and communicating therewith, arotary device to control the feed of chemicals from the hopper to thetank, a sprocket wheel having a one-way driving connection with saiddevice, a sprocket wheel within the tank, a chain extending around saidsprocket wheels, a float attached to the chain, and a tube inclosing aportion of said chain, said tube extending above the tank.

2. The combination of a locomotive tender having a water tank, achemical hopper mounted on the tank and communicating therewith, adevice to control the feed of chemicals from the hopper to the tank, awheel, a one-way clutch between the wheel and the said device, and afloat arrangedto rotate the wheel, said float being located in the tank.

3. The combination of a locomotivetender having a water tank, achemical-supplying means on the tender and communicating with the tank,a float within the tank operated by the rise of water in the tank toactuate the chemical-supplying means, and a casing within the tank, saidcasing inclosing and guiding the float, said casing c0m-- municatingwith the interior of the tank.

4:. The combination of a locomotive tender having a water tank,chemical-supplying means on the tender and communicating with the tank,a float within the tank and 11 means operated by the rise of the floatto actuate the chemical-supplying means during the period of such rise.

5. The combination of a locomotive tender having a water tank, achemical hopper mounted on the tank and communicating therewith, adevice to control the feed of chemicals from the hopper to the tank, twosprocket wheels arranged one above the other, one of said wheels beingsupported in the lower portion of the tank, a one-way clutch between theother wheel and the said device, an endless chain extending around saidwheels, and a float attached to the chain,

said float being located in the tank, said clutch being arranged toactuate said device in the upward movement of the float.

6. The combination of a water tank, a chemical hopper communicating withthe tank, a device to control the feed of chemicals from the hopper tothe tank, a wheel, a one-way clutch between the wheel and the saiddevice, and a float arranged to rotate the wheel, said float beinglocated in the tank.

7. The combination of a water tank, a chemical. hopper communicatingtherewith, a device to control the feed of chemicals from the hopper tothe tank, two sprocket wheels arranged one above the other, one of saidwheels being supported in the lower portion of the tank, a one-wayclutch between the other wheel and the said device, an endless chainextending around said wheels, and a float attached to the chain, saidfloat being located in the tank.

8. The combination of a water tank, a

chemical hopper communicating therewith, a rotary device located at themouth of the hopper for controlling the feed of chemicals from thehopper to the tank, a sprocket wheel having a one-way driving connectionwith said device, a sprocket wheel within the tank, a chain extendingaround said sprocket wheels and a float attached to the chain.

9. The combination of a locomotive tender having a Water tank, achemical hopper mounted on the tank and communicating therewith, adevice to control the feed of chemicals from the hopper to the tank, andmeans actuated by the rise of Water level in the tank for operating saiddevice to feed chemicals to the tank during the period of such rise.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK O. FOSDICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

